Journal of IMAB - Annual Proceeding (Scientific Papers) · Published 2026-07-22 · DOI 10.5272/jimab.2026323.6986
Milena Karcheva, Cvetan Popov, Polya Marinovska, Georgi Golemanov, Nelly Doseva, Maria Sredkova
Purpose: To analyze epidemiological and clinical data of individuals tested for pertussis within the framework of routine disease surveillance Material and Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of epidemiological and clinical characteristics in 109 patients tested for pertussis from five regions in Central and Northeastern Bulgaria. Nasopharyngeal samples were collected from all subjects. Bacterial DNA was extracted using the SaMag Bacterial DNA Extraction Kit (SM006, Sacace Biotechnologies, Italy) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. DNA amplification was performed using the Bordetella multiplex Real-TM PCR kit (Bordetella pertussis/B. parapertussis/B. bronchiseptica Real-TM, B84-100FRT, Sacace Biotechnologies, Italy), targeting the conserved region of the ptxA gene and species-specific genomic regions of Bordetella pertussis. Amplification and analysis were performed using the CFX96 qPCR system (Biorad, USA). All positive samples demonstrated amplification of the ptxA gene and specific genomic regions of B. pertussis. Results: Between May and December 2024, a total of 109 nasopharyngeal samples from patients with suspected pertussis were tested at the Virology Laboratory of the Medical University – Pleven. PCR analysis confirmed pertussis infection in 25 cases (22.94%). The highest proportion of positive cases was observed among children aged <1 year (n = 12) and those aged 5–9 years (n = 4). Unimmunized individuals accounted for 12 (48%) of all laboratory-confirmed cases. According to epidemiological classification criteria, 16 cases (14.68%) were categorized as possible, 4 (3.67%) as probable, and 18 (16.51%) as confirmed. Conclusion: Strengthening laboratory diagnostics, optimizing vaccination strategies, and conducting comprehensive epidemiological investigations are essential to enhance pertussis surveillance and control efforts.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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Karcheva, M., Popov, C., Marinovska, P., et al. (2026). EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PERTUSSIS IN PCR TESTED PATIENTS WITH SUSPECTED INFECTION. Journal of IMAB - Annual Proceeding (Scientific Papers). https://doi.org/10.5272/jimab.2026323.6986